Saturday, April 3, 2010

Paddling Weather

All week we've been driving past a wide open Cross Bay calling us --and after a winter-full of no paddling, yesterday we couldn't resist. We loaded up our curious black dog, and headed toward Ham Lake.

I hate to keep pointing out how weird this is for us....but it's only April 2nd....the paths are dry and it doesn't even smell like spring. What is that? Maybe because we need rain. If I believed it would make a difference, I'd certainly be dancing for the rains. I'd even sing karaoke to "Raindrops keep falling on my head" or "I love a rainy night", if it would help (even through Daniel's horror). "Here comes that rainy day feeling again."I'd take requests even. Maybe I should just start singing all the time, just on the off hand chance that it would work. ,...Somewhere over the rainbow..way up high...there's a song that I heard of, once in a lullaby.

When we got to Ham, we had plenty of room to paddle around the rotten ice. I included video from our regular little camera, even
though I have no software to edit it, and apparently I can't rotate it either. We floated in the ice while it was dissolving. The wind picked up---we back tracked, and the entire sheet closed up and crashed into the shore----we just sort of kept navigating through the open water, as it all opened up on that lake. The lake was alive, changing, the ice was dying, and we were in it. It was really cool.

Later, on Round Lake after school, Shelby explained nature of ice-berging--you have to keep pushing and pushing your limits until you get wet. I think she was also describing the nature of Shelby.

It's a good thing she did that yesterday, the wind picked up in the middle of the night and cleared off Round Lake. Andy and I both woke up to listen to it go. That was some kind of wind. But no rain. (Listen to the rhythm of the falling rain...telling me just what a fool I've been.)

I've got to tell you, it sure was nice to be in a boat again. The 2010 paddling season has begun! We're here, (just Singing in the rain), ready to help you get out there. (Oooooo, I hear laughter in the rain....)